Folding cot and chair



A. J. WRIGHT FOLDING COT AND CHAIR Dec. 28, 1943.

Filed NOV. 18, 1940 INVENTQR ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 28, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENTJOFFICE 2,337,955 7 FOLDING COT AND CHAIR Archibald J. Wright, Pelham Manor, N. Y.

Application November 18, 1940, Serial No.-366,088

4 Claims.

This invention relates to folding furniture, and more particularly to an article of furniture that can be folded to form either a chair or a cot.

Combinations of a folding cot and chair have been proposed heretofore, but such proposed articles have been very bulky and difficult to fold completely for transportation, or else they have not been as adaptable as would be desirable in converting them from a cot to a chair, or vice versa. In fact, some folding chairs and some combination chairs and cots are so complex that considerable difficulty is experienced by the ordinary person in folding or unfolding them.

With the large number of apartments and relatively small and compact living quarters in use at the present time, folding furniture is distinctly advantageous over bulky pieces of rigid furniture, and this is particularly true with respect to folding beds or cots which can be used in an emergency but which may not be needed for use as a bed or cot under ordinary circumstances.

One object of my invention is to provide a simplified combination folding chair and cot that is readily adjustable to form these different articles of furniture.

Another object is to provide a combination folding cot and chair that may be folded to-form a cot or folded to form a chair with an independently adjustable back.

A further object is to provide a folding piece of furniture that may be folded compactly when not in use, or unfolded to form a cot or a chair with a tilted seat and an inclined adjustable back.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent from the description of a preferred embodiment thereof illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which 7 Figure 1 is a plan view of a folded article of furniture arranged to form a cot.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the article shown in Figure 1, illustrating in dot-dash lines the article as it may be folded to form a chair.

Figure 3 is a side elevation of the completely folded article ready for transportation or storage.

The folding article of furniture according to my invention may comprise a rectangular frame consisting of the end bars II! and II, the side frame sections I2, I3 rigidly connected to the end bar II], the side frame sections I4, I5 pivotally connected to the sections I2, I3 respectively, the side frame sections I6, I! pivotally connected to the sections I4, i5 respectively, and the side frame sections 58, It with one end pivotally connected to the frame sections It, I? and their other ends rigidly fixed to the end bar II.

The pivotal joints connecting sections I 2 to M and I3 to preferably comprise the hinges on the under side of these frame sections so that their ends abut each other to permit pivotal movement of the sections in only a downward direction relative to the adjacent section, as viewed in Fig. 2. The connections between side frame sections I I and I6 and between I5 and Il may likewise consist of hinges 2| offset from the sections and disposed against the under sides of the sections. Hinges 2i may be connected by a reinforcing rod-22, although such a rod is not essential. Thus, the ends of sections I 4 and I6 and of sections I5 and I7 abut each other in the position illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, so that folding of these sections is only possible in one direction.

v The adjacent ends of framesections I 6 and I 8 and of frame sections I1 and I9 are preferably formed with inclined surfaces 23 and connected together for pivotal movement by the offset hinges 24. This permits raising of the frame sections I8 and It with respect to the framesections I6 and I! for a limited distance until the inclined surfaces 23 abut each other. If desired,a rod 25 may be used for reinforcement to connect the two hinges 24.

One end of the frame may be supported by the legs 26, 2'1 pivotally connected to the ends of the bar It. Suitable rigid bracing links 23, 29 may be pivotally connected to the legs 2'6, 21 at points intermediate their ends, and carry inwardly projecting pins that'iit into holes in the sides of frame sections I2 and I3. Thus, the links 28, 29 may be disengaged from the side frame sections I2, l3 when the article is to be folded.

A second pair of legs 30, 3| may be pivotally connected to the lower surfaces of the ends of side frame sections I6, I! by means of the hinges 32. Hinges 32 are preferably disposed at one side of the upper ends of legs 39, 3! so that these legs may be folded up alongside the side frame sections I8, I], but the legs are braced nevertheless by the upper ends striking the projecting hinges 24 (Fig. 1) when the legs are in the inclined position shown in Fig. 2. Suitable bracing links 33, 34 may be pivotally connected to the legs 30, 31 and carry inwardly projecting pins at their upper ends for insertioniin the holes in the sides of frame sections I8, I9. For greatercompactness when the article is com- 'pletely folded, the links 33, 34 may be jointed at 33a, 34a and providedwith the toes such as shown at 341) to hold'the links rigid when they are straightened out as in Figs. 1 and 2.

The rectangular frame may have a covering consisting of the sections 35, 38, 31 and 38 of a suitable fabric such as a heavy canvas, joined together by the strips of elastic material 39, 40 and M. The canvas sections and strips of elastic material, preferably a woven type of fabric containing elastic threads, may be stitched together to form one long strip of fabric attached to the frame in any suitable manner. For example, one

seat. A particular advantage of this article when end of the canvas section 35 may be wrapped around the bar I and secured in place by stitching or other suitable means, and one end of the canvas section 38 may be wrapped around the bar H in a similar manner. The; edges of eachof thecanvas sections along the sidejframe'sections may be similarly wrapped around these frame pieces or secured thereto in some other manner. The ends of the'elastic strips 39, 40

and 4| are preferably left free to permit easy folding of the article.

least. four rectangular frame sections pivotally Various materials may be used reconstructing this article of furniture. the side frame sections may, for instance, be

made of Wood or metal, while the bracing links then insert; the pins carried by braces 33, 34 in the appropriate holes in the side framesections. The article may be used inthisform. as a lounging chair, or portable chaise longue. To provide front legs for the chair under the seat section betweenside frame sections 16, I I, the braces 28, 29 maybe disconnected',.the legs 26, 2'1 folded alongside frame'sections [2,13, andthese legs and frame sections then folded-downwardly through an angle of "180 until they lie against the frame sections I4, I5, respectively. When this entire folded unit is dropped down to a vertical position, thebraces28, 29 may be adjusted by inserting the pins carried by the free ends thereof in one set of the holes 42 in side frames l6,l1. f

, The elastic strips 39 andt nstretch when these different sections o f the frameare, folded-and thus preventxthe sheet material covering from being pulled loose. It willbe noted that the side frameflsections l2, l3-are slightly shorter than The'rbarslfl'and-ll and" connected together and arranged to be folded together and to be extended in an unfolded position with the sections all lying substantially in a com- ,monplane, a pairof legs pivotally connected to the free end of'one of said sections, and a second pair of legs pivotally connected to another of said sections to supportthe other end of said frame, one of said sections being independently adjustable to form the back for a chair with a section adjacent thereto forming the seat for said chair, and the remainder of said sections being foldable with respect tosaid section and into a position adjacent each other so that said first mentioned legs extend downwardly from the front of said seat section and serve as front legs for the chair.

2. An article of furniture comprising a rectangular frame composed of a plurality of sections the 1egs 26, 21, while the side. frame sections l4, 7

l5 are approximately the same length as the legs 26, 21; Therefore,-when these parts are folded together'andturnd to the vertical, they provide frontllegsforfthe chair somewhat longer than thelegs 26, 21 and tilt the seat of the chair. The amount of the tilt can be'varied by the particular dimensions usedfor the different parts involved; in addition, the'adjustment of the braces .28, 29 in different sets of the holes 42 can be used to provide different degrees of tilt for the chair used as a, chair is the independent adjustability of theback and seatinclination to the most comfortable positions for any given individual. V This article may also be readily folded compactly for. transportation ,or storage. After disengaging the braces 28, 29,,t he legs 26, 21, side frame sections l2, l3, l4 and I5 maybe folded to a position alongside the side frame sections l 6, I1. The braces 33, 34 may then be disengaged and the legs 30, 3| folded against the legs 26, 21 and the side frame sections l8, l9 folded against the other side framesections. This leaves the article in a compact fiat form that is easily carried by o ne per'son andthat may be readily stored even in asniallcloset. i p I I The terms and expressions which I -have employed aroused as terms of; description and not pivotally connected together, sections of sheet material attached to said frame sections to form a body supporting means, elastic strips connecting said sections of sheet material adjacent the pivotal connections of said frame sections to facilitate folding thereof, apair of legs supporting one endof said frame, and a second pair of legs attached to said frame at a point spaced fromthe other end thereof, said frame sections being capable of extension to form a cot supported by said legs, and said frame sections being fo-ldable with respect to each other to form a chairwith said second pair of legs serving as the rear legs for said chair.

3. A folding article of furniture comprising a frame; formed by at least four rectangular frame sections pivotally connected together so that they may be folded together or extended in a common plane, a pair of legs pivotally connected to one end of said frame, and a second pair of legs connected to the frame at points spaced from the other end for supporting the other end of said pair of legs being adjustable to form the back for such a chair.

, 4. A combination folding chair and cot comprisingv a plurality of frame sections pivotally secured to each other so that they may be folded compactly together for storage or extended in a common plane, a section at one end of the frame being pivotally adjustable to form the back of a chair, the frame section adjacent thereto forming a seat for such chair, a pair of legs attached to the frame at the junction of said back and seat sections, the others of said frame sections being foldable together and into a position below said seat section, and another pair of legs pivotally secured to the free end of one of said other frame sections to support one end of the frame in unfolded position and to serve as the front legs of the chair when said other sections are folded together.

ARCHIBALD J. WRIGHT; 

